Aksa looks over at the new question and upon hearing '1-8', puts two and two together, and nods with a smile.

"No hard assignments. 'Usher 1 thru 6' will crew VF's when they are available to return the SDF. To keep it simple, 'Usher' pilots will be numbered in the order they first return to the SDF and keep that number for the duration of the operation." She says.

"As for VF assignment following rescue and recovery operations? I can't speak to that." She adds with a quasi-apologetic shrug.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:55, Sun 02 Sept 2018.

Jack raise his hand soon afterwards.
"Ma'm, do we have a rough idea of how many VF and other mechas we might found out there?"

"Approximately 100 VF's. Plus an indeterminate number of other craft." She replies. "We won't really know the full scope until we get out there."

"Once we begin we will continue until the task is done; shifting out for respite's as needed."

"We'll kick off at (insert time here). So be at Bay 4 a bit ahead of time."

She keeps the floor open for a few more questions before wrapping up.

---

OOC: Unless Ethen or another NPC have a question; or Meiko or Jack have a follow up. I'm good to go to wrap up the briefing portion, opening up for some RP before 'kick off'.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Sun 02 Sept 2018.

OOC: I want the give Ethan a chance to post (it is a holiday weekend in the US) before moving forward.

Meiko grins briefly, showing a toothy if uneven smile and winks.




She nods, then frowns at her notepad.

"Ma'm, I don't understand.  What radio call sign will the Valkyries use prior to coming back inbound, and why use a variable call sign.  I would think you would want to know exactly what and who you have where?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:49, Sun 02 Sept 2018.

Ethan sips his coffee listening to Aksa's very detailed brief.  After hearing that we can engage enemy units, Ethan chuckles to himself thinking "I will report the enemy's wreckage immediately"

Upon hearing the 2nd comment, especially the way 18 was said, could this be the pilot that was with us yesterday?  Ethan looks hard to find the individual making the comment.

"Ready to go Ma'am"

"Usher 1 thru 6." She says. "If you are the first one to head back, you will be Usher 1, and will have that as your Call-sign for the duration of the recovery operation." She adds. "If we start using the individual planes call-signs it's going to get confusing in a hurry. It also sets us apart from any other call-sign out there." She explains as she sips from her coffee.

"Last thing we need if things go sideways is for control, or me, to have to try and figure out who the hell is in what plane if everyone adopts the call-sign of the bird their returning." She says evenly with a shrug.*

---

(*OOC: So, yeah, this is actually being said in a conversational non-confrontational way; Aksa just swears...a lot. I'm just putting this disclaimer here since inflection translates like shit into text.)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Mon 03 Sept 2018.

Meiko squints, then laughs.

"I think I understand now.  Us Valkyrie pilots won't have a call sign until we get into and recover a valkyrie, is that it?"  She shakes her head, this is starting to shape up into the same sort of confusion that landed her a nickname.

"Correct." Aksa says.

"Thank you."

She makes one more note, then stares at it... likely thinking morbid thoughts.

With the briefing over and about an hour of time between now and assembly in the designated hanger deck the pilots begin to file out of the room.

[Private to Meiko Levina: OK now is a good time to introduce your self to Aksa, and she will probably introduce you to the other two PC's]

Meiko heads straight up to Aksa and has a hand out quickly to her.
Her smile is warm.

"One-Eight, a pleasure to be able to meet you in person.  Sorry about the questions, buy me a beer and I will regale you with how I earned the handle Lightning."  She grins fast and winks.  "Let's just say, not the first time I have had issues in a briefing."

A chuckle.

"Meiko Levina, 1st Lieutenant, US Marines."

Ethan sees the pilot who asked the questions walk toward his wingman, and he walks to Aksa's position.

Aksa returns the handshake with a brief but firm grip of her own.

"Aksa Tikkanen, Captain, Finnish Air Force." She replies, returning the formal greeting with a nod. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant Levina."

(Her name plate has her call-sign as VIXEN)

"Did you have any trouble landing on the ARMD?" She asks Meiko. "Have you gotten your flight suit space rated?" She adds, sounding much like a mother hen, just less fussy, and less old.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:10, Mon 03 Sept 2018.

The Marine returns the firm grip with pleasure.

"How did the rest of our little flight fare, Captain Tikkanen?"


(Meiko's reads with her name, call-sign LIGHTNING, and such)



The attitude, remarkably, brings out a smile in the shorter woman.
"The Big E took good care of getting me in and putting me up.
She wags the little bag over her shoulder, on it are also the mask and O2 tank for space operations.
"I haven't had my suit rechecked, only clothes I got, but I did pick up my mask and tank.  I've used this suit in space operations before, and I will pre-flight check it ASAP."

She glances to the clearing room.

"Seen any other US Marines?  I don't know if anyone else from my squadron survived yet.  Things are a bit messy over on the Big E.  I used stand down to get a few necessities and rest."

"US Marines? A few." She replies. She's seen a lot of pilots around of late, and she's pretty sure at least one or two were likely a US Marine. But she never spoke with them.

Regards the question on how their 'little flight had fared' she offers a 'well, it's like this' smile and looks over Meiko's shoulder at an approaching pilot.

[Private to Ethan Ambrose: Dats you man! ]
This message was lightly edited by the player at 16:56, Mon 03 Sept 2018.

Following behind Ethan Jack walks up to Aksa and Meiko.
So ma'm, is this the lost Knight?" he speaks once close enough and an opening between conversation. "Greetings, I'm Jack O'Neil and flew as Vermellion 7 during the battle on Earth"

"Capin, is this our missing pilot from yesterday?" Ethan says as he walks up behind the pilot.

"I do believe it is." Aksa says, stepping back to allow the three to chat as she takes another drink from her thermos.

A small laugh from the short pilot and a big grin as she goes to shake Jack's hand vigorously.

"Pleased to meet you Jack, Lieutenant Meiko Levina, US Marines."  She chuckles "Battle of Earth, huh?  First I have heard it called that, I have been in holding pattern."

Another nod to Ethan.  "You our Oggy?"  And offers her hand to him too.

Ethan reaches out and accepts Meiko's hand, "Yep Oggy 3, from the Australian Navy, Ethan Ambrose at your service.  She assign to us now Capin?"

The USAF pilot had been watching the reunion, and decided to join in the conversation. "I hear the surviving squadron commanders and XO's are going to be reorganizing the air wings. So who knows what squadron we'll be assigned to in a few days."

Meiko nods to Archer.

"In the meantime, the Four Horsemen reuinite!"  She laughs.

"Any tally on how many kills we all got?  I know I racked in...   6 mecha kills.  Did all of us do Ace in a Day?"

Archer non nonchalantly listed his kills. "I got five of their Tri-Thruster Fighters for sure, maybe four of those headless ostrich things on the ground. Intel guys will be spending weeks going over everyone's Gun camera footage."
This message was last updated by the player at 21:58, Mon 03 Sept 2018.

"I'm sure we all did our duty." She replies regards the talk of kills, leaving it at that, just happy to have survived the ordeal.

"As for assignments; for the duration of the Recovery operation, yes. As for afterwards; I'm sure UN Command, in their infinite wisdom, will have a place for us when all is said and done."

There is an pause from Aksa as she is in thought. Then...

"I need to double check the meal coordination. If you have a blend you prefer, now is the time to tank up." She says, holding up her coffee thermos. The joke quote on it's side reads. 'I drink coffee for YOUR protection.'

"If you want, send any preferred food or rest items to the Bay 1 Flight Ops Dayroom. We'll be using that for crew rest as well as a break area in between Rabbit rides."

With that, the introverted and nigh shy Finn takes her leave.